Books as History - Paperback
The Importance of Books Beyond their Texts
David Pearson examines books as artefacts, for their interesting qualities beyond their texts: their design and artistic value, and for their unique properties deriving from the ways they have been printed, bound, annotated, beautified or defaced. Taking examples from the Middle Ages to the present day, he shows that books develop their own individual histories, which provide important evidence about the way they were used and regarded in the past, and which make them an indispensable part of the fabric of our cultural heritage. Includes updated first and final chapters.
Review
'...an extremely accessible, compact and cleverly illustrated introduction to the historical study of the book as a cultural and physical object.'
TLS
‘a joy to read’
Jane Wickendal, Rare Books Newsletter
‘[a] beautifully produced book’
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America
About the Author / Editor
David Pearson is Director of Libraries, Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery, London, and has extensive experience of managing and working in major research collections. His books include Provenance Research in Book History (British Library, 1994) and English Bookbinding Styles 1450 – 1800: A Handbook (British Library, 2005).
